The CONVERGE Consortium is comprised of international research organizations, including BGI, University of Oxford, Virginia Commonwealth University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Peking Union Medical College.

Major Depressive Disorder, one of the most frequently encountered forms of mental illness and a leading cause of disability worldwide, poses a major challenge to genetic analysis. However, no robustly replicated genetic variants have been identified despite analysis of more than 9,000 cases.

In the study, researchers conducted low-coverage whole-genome sequencing on 5,303 Chinese women with recurrent MDD and 5,337 healthy con­trols. They identified two genetic variants contributing to risk of MDD on chromosome 10: one near the SIRT1 gene, the other in an intron of the LHPP gene. SIRT1 gene is involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, thus suggests the implication between mitochondria and MDD.

Qibin Li, project leader at BGI, said, ‘we are glad to be part of The CONVERGE Consortium. The study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of MDD, which may potentially help to discover and treat this common complex disease in the future. But we still need to realize that more remains to be discovered.’

The study published today in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution shows that, with mitogenome references, collecting wild bees, extracting their mixed DNA, and directly reading the DNA of the resultant ‘bee soup’ could finally make large-scale bee monitoring programmes feasible. This new research demonstrates how the process could become quicker, cheaper and more accurate.

The approach used in the study would allow conservationists to detect where and when bee species are being lost, and importantly, whether conservation interventions are making effect.

Wild bees play a key role in pollinating wild plants and cultivated crops – maintaining both biodiversity and food production. They are however threatened by habitat loss, pesticides, climate change and disease. Safeguarding wild bee populations and their pollination services is therefore a top priority.

The UK’s National Pollinator Strategy plans a large-scale bee monitoring programme. Traditional monitoring involves pinning individual bees and identifying them under a microscope. But the number of bees needed to track populations reliably over the whole country makes traditional methods infeasible. Developing an efficient long-term monitoring programme to better understand the causes of their decline is one of the goals of DEFRA’s National Pollinator Strategy. This will involve a massive collection of bees across the UK. Traditionally they would be pinned and identified under a microscope, but this is so labour-intensive and error-prone that the resulting data might not be available for years after the collections.

Prof. Douglas Yu, from University of East Anglia, UK and Kunming Institute of Zoology and Dr. Xin Zhou’s group from the CNGB lead the research team to apply the mitochondrial metagenomics pipeline on bulk bee samples collected in the studied regions, which have been morphologically identified by scientists from University of Reading in the UK. Dr. Zhou’s group firstly conducted biodiversity study using a PCR-free method in 2013 (Zhou et al. 2013), avoided PCR-bias and demonstrated the positive correlation between biomass and the sequence numbers. Mitogenomes are expanded DNA markers beyond the conventional DNA barcodes, providing >20X of informative references for species diagnosis, which would benefit not only researches on biodiversity and ecology but also phylogenetic and evolution studies. Last year, the CNGB initiated the MT10K (10,000 mitochondrion genome, https://www.mt10k.org) project, and developed a high-throughput and cost-efficient mitogenome construction pipeline (Tang et al. 2014). The successful application of mitochondrial metagenomics pipeline on the new beestudy is very encouraging, implicating promising applications on large-scale and long-term conservation projects.

In the pipeline, mitogenome references were built first under efficient time and cost, and then the raw DNA reads from the ‘bee soup’ were mapped against mitogenome references. The process did not require taxonomic experts and the result was proved to be more accurate. Also, by skipping the DNA-amplification step known as PCR, the method was able to estimate the biomass contributed by each species, which makes it applicable to tracking population trajectories.

“We’re trying to speed up ecological investigation on a monumental scale.” said the lead researchers.

]]>http://bgiamericas.com/mitochondrial-metagenomics-how-omics-saving-wild-bees/feed/0BGI Has Received Accreditation From The College of American Pathologists (CAP)http://bgiamericas.com/bgi-has-received-accreditation-from-the-college-of-american-pathologists-cap/
http://bgiamericas.com/bgi-has-received-accreditation-from-the-college-of-american-pathologists-cap/#commentsWed, 01 Jul 2015 17:55:48 +0000http://bgiamericas.com/?p=13205BGI Hong Kong is the first clinical next-generation-sequencing laboratory operating with the CAP certification in China

BGI announced today that its high-throughput DNA sequencing laboratory in Hong Kong has been accredited by the American College of Pathologists (CAP). The BGI Hong Kong facility is the first clinical next-generation-sequencing laboratory to receive the CAP certification in China, meeting the highest standard in clinical laboratory practices. Complementary to the exiting US FDA – 21 CFR Part 11 compliant laboratory process, and multiple ISO certifications, the CAP certification enables BGI to provide the highest international standard of excellence in quality laboratory practices.

In addition, the BGI Total Quality Program, which includes a 24/7, real-time customer support program, provides industry-leading customer services to our clients. Equipped with the industry’s broadest array of genomics technologies, plus an experienced team of scientists and bioinformaticians, BGI provides the highest-quality data and services for researchers and clinicians from all over the world.

About the College of American Pathologists

The College of American Pathologists (CAP), the leading organization of board-certified pathologists, serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. The CAP offers high-value, integrated solutions and experiences that empower CAP members and customers to achieve excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine.

About BGI

BGI was founded in 1999 as a non-profit research organization. Over the years, BGI has grown into a multinational company with significant global operations. Our focus has been centered on improving human health and empowering large-scale human, plant and animal genomics research. Today, by leveraging our R&D, manufacturing and commercial operations around the world, we are dedicated to –

Providing products and services for a wide-range of life science research and clinical applications

Contact Information:

]]>http://bgiamericas.com/bgi-has-received-accreditation-from-the-college-of-american-pathologists-cap/feed/0BGI Poised to Launch Its Desktop Sequencer BGISEQ-500 This Octoberhttp://bgiamericas.com/bgi-poised-to-launch-its-desktop-sequencer-bgiseq-500-this-october/
http://bgiamericas.com/bgi-poised-to-launch-its-desktop-sequencer-bgiseq-500-this-october/#commentsSat, 27 Jun 2015 17:36:41 +0000http://bgiamericas.com/?p=13195Shenzhen, China, - BGI today debuted its desktop sequencer BGISEQ-500 in China. It is the second new system based on Complete Genomics’ industry-leading sequencing technology. Earlier this month, CG’s new fully integrated “supersequencer” Revolocity™ system was previewed at ESHG. Different from Revolocity™’s scalability, BGISEQ-500 is an integrated desktop sequencing solution. It automates sample preparation, sequencing, and data analysis, enabling various applications on one-click operation.

BGI introduced its non-invasive prenatal test (NIFTY) application on BGISEQ-500. Each run can test 16 to 192 samples. Equipped with the built-in automatic analysis software, the processing time from sample library construction to data analysis can reach within 24 hours.

The detailed information of BGISEQ-500 will be officially launched at the 10th International Conference on Genomics(ICG10, www.icg-10.org) held in Shenzhen this October.

]]>http://bgiamericas.com/bgi-poised-to-launch-its-desktop-sequencer-bgiseq-500-this-october/feed/0Complete Genomics Previews Revolocity™ Sequencing System at European Human Genetics Conference 2015http://bgiamericas.com/complete-genomics-previews-revolocity-sequencing-system-at-european-human-genetics-conference-2015/
http://bgiamericas.com/complete-genomics-previews-revolocity-sequencing-system-at-european-human-genetics-conference-2015/#commentsSat, 06 Jun 2015 17:41:50 +0000http://bgiamericas.com/?p=13201MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Complete Genomics, Inc., a leader in whole human genome sequencing, today announced that Mater Health Services, a leading Australian health services provider, and Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands are to become the first customers for the Revolocity™ sequencing system, the company’s new fully integrated “supersequencer.” The Revolocity system is being previewed at the European Human Genetics Conference (June 6–9, Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre [SECC], Glasgow, UK) on June 6, 2015.

In recent years, DNA sequencing and computational technologies have advanced rapidly, throughput has skyrocketed, and the cost of genome sequencing has plummeted. Complete Genomics has been at the forefront of these advances, sequencing more than 20,000 whole human genomes and driving the adoption of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in clinical research. Now Complete Genomics has incorporated its NGS technology and operational knowledge into the Revolocity system—the first truly integrated high-capacity sequencing system for laboratories that demand a cutting-edge genomic facility.

The Revolocity sequencing system is designed to deliver 10,000 whole genome sequences (WGS) a year, and expand to 30,000 WGS per year—surpassing the scalability of any other sequencing solution available today. The Revolocity system also supports whole exome sequencing (WES). It automates DNA purification from a variety of
starting materials, including whole human blood and saliva, and then processes samples seamlessly through the library preparation, sequencing, and data analysis phases. The Revolocity system provides high-confidence data on small variants, including SNPs, insertions, deletions, block substitutions as well as CNV’s and structural variants.

Mater Health Services in Brisbane, Australia, has chosen to make the Revolocity system the centerpiece of a new purpose-built core facility, opening mid-2016, to provide the first genomics-based clinical diagnostics service in the Australian market. Professor Deon Venter, Mater Director of Pathology said: “Mater Health Services is very excited to be at the forefront of using whole genome sequencing technology to improve thousands of patient outcomes, not just in Australia, but potentially across Asia and Europe. The uses for this technology across the spectrum of acute and preventative medicine are enormous and will be the greatest advance in medical care for decades. Whole genome sequencing can increase the diagnostic yield many times more than conventional genetic tests and also provides important additional information such as which drugs the patient should or should not be given. People that will benefit from this technology will include those with cardiac, neurological and developmental diseases and newborn babies, as well as cancer patients.”

Joris Veltman, Professor of Translational Genomics at Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc) in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, said: “For clinical research in an academic center like Radboudumc it is very important to obtain a complete solution, from blood to annotated genome. We think the solution offered by Complete Genomics will greatly facilitate the implementation of complex genomics tests. We have worked well with Complete Genomics in the past and are very impressed with the quality of their genome sequencing technology. Radboudumc is very excited to expand its capabilities to perform large-scale exome and genome sequencing with this acquisition.”

“Mater Health Services and Radboudumc are regarded as being at the forefront of introducing personalized medicine through improved diagnostics and therapeutics in Australia and Europe. I am therefore delighted they have both chosen the Revolocity system as their core platform. Its high throughput and automated capabilities offer both of these institutions the opportunity to take their genome and exome sequencing capacities to previously unseen levels, enabling them to develop a whole range of new tests,” said Complete Genomics CEO, Clifford A. Reid, PhD.

About Complete Genomics

Complete Genomics is a leader in whole human genome sequencing based in Mountain View, California. Using its proprietary sequencing instruments, chemistry, and software, the company has sequenced more than 20,000 whole human genomes. The company’s mission is to improve human health by providing researchers and clinicians with the core technology and commercial systems to understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases and conditions. www.completegenomics.com

About Radboud University Medical Center

Radboud University Medical Center is a leading academic center for patient care, education and research, with the mission ‘to have a significant impact on healthcare’. Our activities help to improve healthcare and consequently the health of individuals and of society. We believe we can achieve that by providing excellent quality, participatory and personalized healthcare, operational excellence and by working together in sustainable networks. www.radboudumc.nl/EN

]]>http://bgiamericas.com/complete-genomics-previews-revolocity-sequencing-system-at-european-human-genetics-conference-2015/feed/0B10K – Toward Decoding All Bird Genomeshttp://bgiamericas.com/b10k-toward-decoding-all-bird-genomes/
http://bgiamericas.com/b10k-toward-decoding-all-bird-genomes/#commentsThu, 04 Jun 2015 17:27:48 +0000http://bgiamericas.com/?p=13176The Avian Phylogenomics Consortium formally announces the launch of the Bird 10,000 genomes (B10K) project (http://b10k.genomics.cn/), an initiative to generate representative draft genome sequences from all extant bird species within the next five years. This will be the first attempt to sequence the genomes of all living species of a vertebrate class. The establishment of this project is built on the success of the previous ordinal level project (http://avian.genomics.cn/en/index.html ), which provided the first proof of concept for carrying out large-scale sequencing of multiple representative species across a vertebrate class and a window into the types of discoveries that can be made with such genomes (1). The announcement of the B10K project is published online today in Nature.

The extraordinary diversity of Galapagos finches discovered during the 1826 voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle had an enormous impact on Darwin’s thinking about ‘On the Origin of Species’. His later studies on domesticated pigeons further inspired the development of the theory of evolution. Since then, bird studies have led to numerous pioneering findings that have established many new disciplines in biology, including Wallace’s biogeography, Mayr’s synthesis of speciation, MacArthur and Wilson’s island biogeography, Tinbergen’s ethology, and Hamilton’s kinship theory. With about 10,500 living species, birds constitute the most speciose class of terrestrial vertebrates and are adapted to and distributed throughout most terrestrial and shallow aquatic biomes on the planet. Given these attributes, birds continue to be widely used as models for studies on population genetics, neurobiology, development and animal conservation. Moreover, domesticated birds contribute substantially to the World’s food source and economy as in the form of eggs, meat, ornament and culture. In terms of world health, the spread of avian influenza, West Niles virus and other zoonotic or emerging infectious diseases has led to the loss of human lives. As pest in agriculture, some species result in loss of billions of dollars per year. Clearly, ornithology has had and will continue to have a pronounced impact on both basic scientific research and on biosecurity of human society.

In the past decade, we have witnessed the rapid development of genome sequencing technologies and the resultant wealth of knowledge from animal genomes. The phylogeny of birds has been one of the most challenging vertebrate groups to decipher. Recently, the ordinal level project, led by researchers from BGI, the University of Copenhagen, and Duke University (2), and including investigators from more than 20 countries, sequenced and/or collected the genomes from 48 bird species representing nearly all orders and covering a broad range of evolutionary diversity (3). The consortium was able to resolve much of the contested phylogenetic history of modern avian orders (4) (Fig. 1). This project also addressed an extensive array of questions regarding avian evolution, diversity and behavior (1). Due to this success, the consortium decided to expand the understanding and exploration of this unique class of vertebrates and extend these findings into multiple disciplines. To do so, the consortium has expanded and been reinforced through the addition of four more institutes as part of the leadership board: the Kunming Institute of Zoology in China; the Institute of Zoology of Chinese Academy of Science; the Smithsonian Institution in the USA; and the Center of Macroecology, Evolution and Climate in Denmark; they include experts in museum science, biogeography and ecology. These other contributing institutions and collaborators are listed in the B10K project website.

Given the small size and less complex features of bird genomes relative to other vertebrates, the ongoing advances in sequencing technologies, and the extensive availability of high quality tissue samples from birds deposited in museums around the world, reaching this ambitious goal is not only possible but also practical. In addition to contributing a large public genomic resource that will benefit the entire research community and human society, this project will include extensive collections of the morphological, physiological, ecological and behavioral traits of all species and will address a number of fundamental questions in evolution, ecology, and biodiversity.

The B10K project will allow the completion of a genomic level tree of life of the entire living avian class, decode the link between genetic variation and phenotypic variation, uncover the correlation of genetic evolutionary and biogeographical and biodiversity patterns across a wide-range of species, evaluate the impact of various ecological factors and human influence on species evolution, and unveil the demographic history of an entire class of organisms. Given all these aims, the consortium is carrying out the project in three phases. Each phase focuses on the completion of milestones at hierarchical levels of avian classification (Fig. 2). They envision this project will have significant scientific and public impact that will change the understanding of avian biology and evolution, which in turn will affect the understanding of other organisms and open doors to new areas of research.

Figure 1. The new avian family tree based on whole genomes of 48 bird species representing all 30 neoavian orders and two galloanserae orders and two palaeognathae orders. For more detail, see ref (4) and other studies at http://avian.genomics.cn/en/index.html. Painting by Jon Fjeldså.

Figure 2. The B10K plan in four phases. The consortium is carrying out the project in phases based on the hierarchical levels of avian classification. The ordinal level phase of about 34 orders has been accomplished (1), while the genomic data collection for representative species of about 240 families is ongoing right now. The specimen collection for the phase 3 of 2250 genera and phase 4 of the remaining 8000 species is under way.

About BGI

BGI was founded in 1999 with the mission of being a premier scientific partner to the global research community. The goal of BGI is to make leading-edge genomic science highly accessible through its investment in infrastructure that leverages the best available technology, economies of scale, and expert bioinformatics resources. BGI, which includes both private non-profit genomic research institutes and sequencing application commercial units, and its affiliates, BGI Americas, and BGI Europe, have established partnerships and collaborations with leading academic and government research institutions as well as global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, supporting a variety of disease, agricultural, environmental, and related applications. BGI has achieved a proven track record of excellence, delivering results with high efficiency and accuracy for innovative, high-profile research which has generated over 600 publications in top-tier scientific journals. BGI Tech Solutions Company, a subsidiary of BGI, provides sequencing and bioinformatics service solutions for global biomedical, agricultural, and environmental customers.

http://bgiamericas.com/b10k-toward-decoding-all-bird-genomes/feed/0New Study Reported the Mystery of Sociality in Beeshttp://bgiamericas.com/new-study-reported-the-mystery-of-sociality-in-bees/
http://bgiamericas.com/new-study-reported-the-mystery-of-sociality-in-bees/#commentsThu, 14 May 2015 18:00:48 +0000http://bgiamericas.com/?p=13170Eusociality, which is the most advanced form of social organization, is featured with group living, cooperative brood care, a division of labour into reproductive and non-reproductive groups, and overlapping generation within a colony. Eusociality has evolved from a solitary ancestor repeatedly in vertebrates and invertebrates, most often among bees. There are several levels of sociality in bees, solitary, simple eusociality, with small colony consisted by a queen and only a few workers, and complex eusociality with large colony consisted by thousands to millions of individuals that divide into morphologically specialized castes. Bees are socially diverse and evolved eusociality multiple times independently.

In order to uncover the mystery of sociality evolution in bees, an international team led by researchers at China National GeneBank of BGI and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studied the genomes of 10 bee species with different degrees of sociality. The latest study was published online on May 14, 2015, in Science.

In this study, researchers conducted a comparative genomics study on ten bee species from three families, including five newly sequenced and five publicly available bee genomes. The data represents two independent origins of eusociality in Apidae and Halictidae and two independent elaborations of simple to complex eusociality in two apid tribes [Apini (honey bees) and Meliponini (stingless bees).

One key finding in this study is that the transition from solitary to group life is associated with an increased capacity for gene regulation. By comparing binding strength of transcription factors in genes in different bee species, researchers found a positive correlation link between the binding strength and social complexity. In addition, the researchers found the number of methylated genes also increased with the social complexity. Furthermore, the genes involved in regulating gene expression evolved faster in complex eusocial bees. All these results suggest that increasing social complexity may be linked to increasingly complex gene networks. Researchers also detected a slower and constraint evolution rate of neural and endocrine-related genes in high degree of socialization. Perhaps constrains of neural and endocrine-related genes could be compensated for, or perhaps driven by increased capacity of regulation.

Researchers found 354 and 167 rapidly evolving “social genes” in two original transitions in Apidae and Halictidae respectively. Rapid evolution of these genes should greatly promote the transition process, and are enriched in signaling related functions. During the transition from solitary to eusocial, external environment was changed and could stimulate through signaling pathways within the cell to generate physiological and behavioral traits, thus changes in the signal transduction should be necessary in all the origins evolved from solitary to social. Surprisingly, Apidae and Halictidae only share six genes in signal transduction, which illustrates that selection has targeted different parts of pathways in each independent transition. Further investigation revealed the rapidly evolved genes in two elaborate transitions were also highly disparate.

Based on the findings, researchers conclude that eusociality may arise by different mechanisms in each independent evolution, but would likely always involve an increase in the complexity of gene networks.

“Our study suggests that each independent evolutionary transition in the social life of bees has involved different genetic mechanisms. This result is consistent with previous genomic studies of ants, termites and the naked mole rat, who all evolved their eusocial systems independently,” says Guojie Zhang, senior author of this paper, Assistant Professor at the University of Copenhagen and Associate Director of the China National Genebank, “The work also offers many new insights in the evolution of regulatory complexity associated with transitions in social life.”

About BGI

BGI was founded in 1999 with the mission of being a premier scientific partner to the global research community. The goal of BGI is to make leading-edge genomic science highly accessible through its investment in infrastructure that leverages the best available technology, economies of scale, and expert bioinformatics resources. BGI, which includes both private non-profit genomic research institutes and sequencing application commercial units, and its affiliates, BGI Americas, and BGI Europe, have established partnerships and collaborations with leading academic and government research institutions as well as global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, supporting a variety of disease, agricultural, environmental, and related applications. BGI has achieved a proven track record of excellence, delivering results with high efficiency and accuracy for innovative, high-profile research which has generated over 600 publications in top-tier scientific journals. BGI Tech Solutions Company, a subsidiary of BGI, provides sequencing and bioinformatics service solutions for global biomedical, agricultural, and environmental customers.

]]>http://bgiamericas.com/new-study-reported-the-mystery-of-sociality-in-bees/feed/0UK-China Collaboration for Data Sharing in Metabolomicshttp://bgiamericas.com/uk-china-collaboration-for-data-sharing-in-metabolomics/
http://bgiamericas.com/uk-china-collaboration-for-data-sharing-in-metabolomics/#commentsMon, 11 May 2015 02:59:33 +0000http://bgiamericas.com/?p=13166Shenzhen, China– A partnership between the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), the Universities of Birmingham, Manchester and Oxford, The Sainsbury Laboratory and TGAC with BGI and its open-access journal,GigaScience, has received funding from the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC) to support the sharing of data and analyses in metabolomics.

Metabolomics involves the detection and quantification of small molecules (metabolites) in living organisms using mass spectrometers. The measurements made from these sophisticated instruments are analysed using computational programs to determine the abundances of metabolites, the results of which can provide an indication of an organism’s cellular condition and health. These data can be stored and shared through public databases such as MetaboLights, which launched in 2012. However, data sharing is not yet keeping pace with the publication of scientific papers in metabolomics.

The award of £30,000 from the BBSRC will enable the consortium to host training workshops to support scientists in the UK and China in managing and sharing their metabolomics data and analyses. Such computational skills have been highlighted by the BBSRC as being essential for furthering the impact of science on society and the economy. The consortium will work with Software Carpentry, Data Carpentry, ELIXIR and the Galaxy Project: four international networks dedicated to building computational and bioinformatics skills capacity.

Dr Peter Li, Data Organisation Manager at GigaScience, commented, “This funding will enable a synergistic exchange of our experience in data curation and publication with the expertise in metabolomics teaching provided by our UK-based partners.” He continued, “Bioinformatics education is of great interest to BGI as a channel of communicating how science can be performed in an open manner which we are promoting in GigaScience.”

Dr Christoph Steinbeck of EMBL-EBI added, “There is already a lot of commitment in metabolomics research community to data sharing and reuse – our main challenge is simply in training people how best to incorporate this into their regular working practices. The BBSRC has recognised that this area of molecular biology is growing more quickly than any other, and that we need to do everything we can to train and support scientists in sharing data. That will lead to better quality data, more efficient research and shorter time to discovery.”

Dr Vicky Schneider, Head of 361⁰ Division (Scientific Training, Education & Learning) at TGAC, said: “In partnership with GigaScience and BGI, we aim to revive the sharing of metabolomics data in the UK and internationally. TGAC will play a pivotal role in facilitating the provision of informatics training for scientists to curate and share data in metabolomics to enhance its value in the global research community.”

The consortium is funded by the UK’s BBSRC under its China Partnering Award programme.

About BGI

BGI was founded in 1999 with the mission of being a premier scientific partner to the global research community. The goal of BGI is to make leading-edge genomic science highly accessible through its investment in infrastructure that leverages the best available technology, economies of scale, and expert bioinformatics resources. BGI, which includes both private non-profit genomic research institutes and sequencing application commercial units, and its affiliates, BGI Americas, and BGI Europe, have established partnerships and collaborations with leading academic and government research institutions as well as global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, supporting a variety of disease, agricultural, environmental, and related applications. BGI has achieved a proven track record of excellence, delivering results with high efficiency and accuracy for innovative, high-profile research which has generated over 600 publications in top-tier scientific journals. BGI Tech Solutions Company, a subsidiary of BGI, provides sequencing and bioinformatics service solutions for global biomedical, agricultural, and environmental customers.

Under the reseller agreement, BGI customers will receive sequencing data generated from their samples through Ingenuity Variant Analysis‘ secure, cloud-based environment and gain access to its leading comprehensive gene variant data and genomic interpretation applications. BGI will provide Ingenuity Variant Analysis to customers in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, with plans to expand to other regions throughout the year. BGI collaborates with more than 10,000 organizations and 30,000 partners worldwide, providing sequencing services for thousands of research projects, including large-scale genome initiatives.

Yingrui Li, Chief Scientist of BGI, said: “We welcome this opportunity to expand our relationship with QIAGEN for the benefit of BGI collaborators around the world. Coupling BGI’s world-class sequencing with the deep bioinformatics of Ingenuity Variant Analysis will give researchers an enhanced, integrated way to seamlessly move quickly from raw data to valuable insights.”

“We are very pleased to expand QIAGEN’s relationship with BGI, the global leader in sequencing services. Integrating Ingenuity Variant Analysis into BGI’s highly reliable sequencing services will enable clients to accelerate workflows. They’ll be able to transform large quantities of genomic data into valuable molecular insights for research or clinical applications,” said Laura Furmanski, Head of QIAGEN’s Bioinformatics Business Area. “Bioinformatics solutions from QIAGEN are growing rapidly as scientists and healthcare professionals increasingly use genomic information to guide research and provide precise diagnosis for medical decision-making. We are committed to working with leading organizations such as BGI to make these improvements in life possible.”

About BGI

BGI, founded in 1999 with the vision of using genomics to benefit the human race, is now the world’s largest genomics organization. Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, BGI encompasses both private nonprofit research institutes and commercial units for sequencing applications, as well as its affiliated offshoots BGI Americas and BGI Europe. BGI has established partnerships and collaborations with leading academic and government research institutions around the world, as well as global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, to support a variety of healthcare, agricultural, environmental and related applications. BGI’s sequencing services are powered by more than 230 DNA sequencers with a data output capability of approximately 16 terabytes per day.

About QIAGEN

QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands-based holding company, is the leading global provider of Sample to Insight solutions to transform biological materials into valuable molecular insights. QIAGEN sample technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from blood, tissue and other materials. Assay technologies make these biomolecules visible and ready for analysis. Bioinformatics software and knowledge bases interpret data to report relevant, actionable insights. Automation solutions tie these together in seamless and cost-effective molecular testing workflows. QIAGEN provides these workflows to more than 500,000 customers around the world in Molecular Diagnostics (human healthcare), Applied Testing (forensics, veterinary testing and food safety), Pharma (pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies) and Academia (life sciences research). As of December 31, 2014, QIAGEN employed approximately 4,300 people in over 35 locations worldwide.

]]>http://bgiamericas.com/bgi-integrates-qiagen-ingenuity-variant-analysis-to-its-sequencing-services/feed/0BGI Adopts Single Molecule, Real-Time Sequencing from Pacific Bioscienceshttp://bgiamericas.com/bgi-adopts-single-molecule-real-time-sequencing-from-pacific-biosciences/
http://bgiamericas.com/bgi-adopts-single-molecule-real-time-sequencing-from-pacific-biosciences/#commentsMon, 04 May 2015 16:57:11 +0000http://bgiamericas.com/?p=13147PacBio RS II Systems to Be Used for Projects Such As De Novo Genome Assembly, Whole-Genome Methylation Analysis and Transcript Isoform Characterization

MENLO PARK, Calif., – Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc., (Nasdaq:PACB) provider of the PacBio® RS II Sequencing System, today announced that BGI, the world’s largest genomics organization, has purchased its first PacBio RS II instrument and plans to purchase additional units in order to integrate Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) Sequencing into its global service business.

“The de novo genome services offered by BGI will be supported by SMRT sequencing technology to take advantage of its long reads and improved accuracy of assembly,” said Dr. Wang Jun, CEO of BGI. “The PacBio platform is ideal for complex genomes, such as those that are highly repetitive or hybrid. With the PacBio RS II we expect to meet our goal of delivering only complete genomes to our customers, and providing the best possible reference genomes for plants, animals and humans.”

The PacBio RS II delivers the industry’s longest read lengths combined with unbiased coverage and high accuracy. These characteristics enable customers to access the complete spectrum of sequence variant types, from single nucleotide polymorphisms to complex structural variation, and from genomic regions that were previously inaccessible. In addition, SMRT Sequencing is the only technology that provides direct detection of base modifications and direct variant phasing information across full-length genes and chromosome haplotype blocks.

Michael Hunkapiller, President and CEO of Pacific Biosciences, commented, “It’s a great validation to us that the world’s leading and largest sequencing operation has adopted PacBio technology. BGI is also a leader in sequencing data analysis, so we are delighted that more SMRT Sequencing data will be in their hands to work with and hopefully develop additional tools to help realize the full value of the data.”

About Pacific Biosciences

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ: PACB) offers the PacBio® RS II Sequencing System to help scientists resolve genetically complex problems. Based on its novel Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) technology, the company’s products enable: de novo genome assembly to finish genomes in order to more fully identify, annotate and decipher genomic structures; full-length transcript analysis to improve annotations in reference genomes, characterize alternatively spliced isoforms in important gene families, and find novel genes; targeted sequencing to more comprehensively characterize genetic variations; and DNA base modification identification to help characterize epigenetic regulation and DNA damage. Our technology provides the industry’s highest consensus accuracy over the longest read lengths in combination with the ability to detect real-time kinetic information. The PacBio RS II System, including consumables and software, provides a simple, fast, end-to-end workflow for SMRT Sequencing. More information is available at www.pacb.com.

About BGI

BGI was founded in 1999 with the mission of being a premier scientific partner to the global research community. The goal of BGI is to make leading-edge genomic science highly accessible through its investment in infrastructure that leverages the best available technology, economies of scale, and expert bioinformatics resources. BGI, which includes both private non-profit genomic research institutes and sequencing application commercial units, and its affiliates, BGI Americas, and BGI Europe, have established partnerships and collaborations with leading academic and government research institutions as well as global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, supporting a variety of disease, agricultural, environmental, and related applications. BGI has achieved a proven track record of excellence, delivering results with high efficiency and accuracy for innovative, high-profile research which has generated over 600 publications in top-tier scientific journals. BGI Tech Solutions Company, a subsidiary of BGI, provides sequencing and bioinformatics service solutions for global biomedical, agricultural, and environmental customers.

Forward Looking Statements

All statements in this press release that are not historical are forward-looking statements, including, among other things, statements relating to purchase commitments, future uses and performance of the Company’s products and other future events. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond the Company’s control and could materially affect actual results. Factors that could materially affect actual results can be found in our most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent reports on Forms 8-K, 10-K, and 10-Q, and include those listed under the caption “Risk Factors.” The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements.